Immigration Reform “Office Hours” Week Thirteen

Today, America’s Voice Education Fund and fellow immigration experts held the thirteenth in a series of weekly press briefings, or Immigration Reform “Office Hours.” Each week, a different and diverse group of speakers shares the latest information on the players, politics, legislation and other developments in the debate in Washington and around the nation.

Today’s call included a discussion of the Gang of 8’s bipartisan immigration bill that was voted out of the Senate Judiciary Committee this past week. The bill -which passed with a bipartisan vote (13-5) – cleared the first official legislative hurdle for final passage in 2013. After a robust debate featuring over 200 amendments—141 of which were adopted—the bill now heads to the Senate floor with the core provisions intact. At the same time, a bipartisan group of lawmakers in the House continues to hash out the details of their own chamber’s bill.

At a time of deep partisan divides in Washington, immigration reform may be the one issue that can actually bring both parties together to enact a policy solution that benefits all.

The Senate bill has genuine and deep bipartisan support. All of the Senate Democrats on the committee as well as Gang of Eight Republican Senators Jeff Flake (R-AZ) and Lindsey Graham (R-SC) worked to protect the path to citizenship and other core elements of immigration reform. They even added support from a new ally, Senator Hatch (R-UT), in the Committee. Between the vast majority of Senate Democrats who support reform and Republicans who have voted for or are co-sponsors of this bill, 60 votes are well within reach. With Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) promising to bring up the bill in June and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) promising not to block it, it appears the Senate is poised to make history.

The bottom line is this: with respect to immigration reform, the majority of Americans support it; Democrats want it; Republicans need it; and the immigration reform movement is prepared to deliver it. This is history in the making.

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